Three-wheeled or four-wheeled scooters used by partially disabled persons are well known in the art. Generally, these scooters include two rear wheels and a third wheel disposed at the front of the vehicle. In some designs, the front wheel is power driven while in other designs the rear wheels are power driven. Typically, the driven wheel(s) are powered by one or more batteries and are carried by the scooter. The batteries are rechargeable and provide a cost efficient manner of powering the vehicles.
The front wheel is usually steered by a tiller or conventional steering assembly. Means for controlling the motor are mounted on the steering assembly within easy reach of the vehicle operator. Preferably, the seat and steering assembly are adjustable to accommodate different size people and to facilitate ease of storage and transport.
To further facilitate the transfer of such vehicles in an automobile van or in some other mariner to the site of operation of the personal mobility vehicle, it has been proposed to construct such vehicles so that they may be disassembled into several components. In particular, it has been proposed to provide the scooter with a two-part frame assembly. It was further contemplated that such personal vehicles would be capable of disassembly and assembly by users who have some physical disability but are sufficiently physically active to assemble or disassemble the components of a personal vehicle. However, in many cases the mechanism used in conventional scooters for assembling and disassembling their different components, and in particular the two parts of their frame, are relatively complex and complicated to handle. Generally, this assembling or disassembling operation involves many successive steps during which the user is often compelled to use both of its hands at the same time. Furthermore, in such conventional scooters, it is often difficult to know if the two-part frame assembly is correctly and safely assembled.